None of this is new and echoes a number of the previous comments posted on this site:
• Turnover is high. Morale is not. It’s hard to imagine its gone unnoticed so one would have to assume that the C-suite and HR are somehow fine with the level of dysfunction on open display.
• I agree with a recent comment that there is definitely some targeted bullying from management that HR and other leadership is aware of, but choose to turn a blind eye to. And I think “bullying” is the right word for it. Of course people lose their jobs from time to time for legitimate concerns, but I saw management ostracize, scapegoat and drill people out of their jobs for “reasons”, which at times meant little more than having a difference of opinion or speaking up about something they were concerned about. And nearly as troubling, this shadowy process seemed to take the place of communication between management and their direct reports. Vanishing co-workers were so frequent you couldn’t help but feel that people had learned that if they wanted to keep their jobs they needed to keep their heads down and their mouths shut. Even some managers seemed to take this “no comment” approach rather than deal with difficult peers or confront senior management, which led to teams clamming up into silos, which led to lots of communication difficulties. The good will of the brand and enthusiasm that people brought into their jobs often curdled quickly. Some people excitedly moved to LA from other parts of the country for a job at Fender only to start looking for another job within weeks of arriving. Others were pointlessly bounced from manager to manager with little or no direction. It was oppressive and you could feel it.
• It is cliquish. I found the subordinate members of these cliques to be super nice people even though I received warnings from multiple corners in my first weeks about the dangers of trusting others in the company.
• There’s an unfortunate and unnecessary enmity between “New” Fender (digital and marketing primarily in Hollywood) and “Old” Fender (primarily in Scottsdale).
• It’s no secret that the guitar market isn’t especially healthy. One would think that fostering and harnessing the enthusiasm and creative energy of the employees could lead to products or innovations that might help keep the lights on over time. Unfortunately that’s not the kind of environment I feel I witnessed.
